The Five Best Food Trucks in Los Angeles

It’s generally agreed that while the history of the noble food truck is hard to trace, Los Angeles was probably the OG city to roll out the mobile eateries in the form of repurposed ice cream trucks doling out tacos beachside in the ‘70s. How far we’ve gone in this time. Anything that can be eaten standing up can be sold out of a sliding window: ice cream sandwiches, lobster rolls direct from Maine, BBQ pork and mac’n’cheese sandwiches, burgers by the dozen and, of course, tacos. For five of the best food trucks in Los Angeles, clock the list below and see if you can’t get to these mobile eateries by mealtime.

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Diners will want to thrash out to these burgers at Grill 'Em All

People who are hardcore about burgers and fries will be happy to spot this heavy metal themed truck joint that goes all out to deliver gourmet-escalated drinking food. A prime example is the unexpected and uniquely tasty blue cheer burger, comprising bleu cheese, cranberry gastrique and potato chips. Along with their standard menu, Grill’em All features a rotating menu of specials – hair metal happy hour, which occurs nightly, offers High Life drafts, Winger burgers and fries and discounts on all cans. Drop in on Monday and grab a Molly Hatchet burger, a mess of a feast of seared fennel sausage gravy, bacon, maple drizzle on a half-pound burger. No matter when you go, there’s bound to be something sinfully delicious at Grill’em All.

The Korean taco truck to top all Korean taco trucks, Kogi BBQ

How does a culinary truck driver get recognized by Food and Wine magazine as "Best New Chef" without a brick and mortar kitchen to call home? One would only have to ask Chef Roy Choi or try his decadent Korean-flavored tacos from Kogi BBQ to find out. One of the first elevated food trucks to hit Los Angeles, Kogi has certainly dominated the curb of curbside dining – of their four trucks, three are spotted all around Central LA, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel, and Orange County. Their popularity has a cause: only a few bucks will get hungry diners a taco of short rib, spicy pork, chicken or tofu; while less than $10 can buy a hefty burrito, a Kogi dog, Kogi kimchi quesadilla or a Kogi slider. And all of which invariably carries all of those deliciously marinated meats topped with sesame salsa roja and a mix of lettuce and cabbage tossed in a chili/soy sauce. For internationally recognized food that’s at once affordable and easily downed, tail this truck when you see it.

Chunk’n’Chip will put a smile on your face

The coolest way to cool down in Los Angeles is finding the Chunk’n’Chip truck and mowing down on two soft, fresh-baked snickerdoodle cookies sandwiching a generous scoop of blueberry lavender ice cream. Or, for the caffeine-bent, two chunky, gooey chocolate brownie cookies with a whopping scoop of coffee, chocolate marble fudge, coconut and macadamia nut ice cream. They have 20 combinations of ice cream and homemade cookies, and since everything is made of traditional and all-natural ingredients in small batches, the endless flavor experiments never really end.

The Grilled Cheese Truck makes a delicious mess

The simplest and most comforting food item in the world just got changed up. This is not your grandmother’s grilled cheese, but it might more resemble your own hungover combinations, only with more ambition. Diners can have it their way or the truck’s way – there’s an option of choosing between American cheese, sharp cheddar, gruyére, double cream brie, habanero jack, herbed goat cheese, aged white cheddar or bleu cheese between slices of french or wheat bread for a simple melt. There’s also a menu of additions, from BBQ smoked pork to sweet Sriracha chicken and a whole host of grilled veggies.

The Lobsta Truck brings coastal Maine to Los Angeles

The Lobsta Truck adheres to none of the traditions of food trucks doling out outrageous concoctions at wallet-friendly prices on the go. But then again, the Lobsta Truck goes out of their way – all the way to Maine – to source their ocean-fresh seafood and delivers a roll (also shipped in from ME) overflowing with big chunks of juicy, flavorful, buttery lobster tail and claw meat. The menu is barebones, zeroing in on the two ingredients of Maine lobster and Dungeness crab, lacking any of the frills and trimmings of other trucks of their caliber, and significantly pricier – and yet, the simplicity nor the price deters their fans from lining up to grab a cup of their clam chowder or their divine rolls. Channeling the spirit of good old fashioned New England seafood shacks, the Lobsta Truck also offers traditional and fresh clam chowder and lobster bisque as well as such New England favorites as whoopie pies, cape cod potato chips and specialty drinks.